


Poetry of fossils

by Ischa



Category: 30 Seconds to Mars, Adam Lambert (Musician), American Idol RPF, Bandom
Genre: Big Bang Challenge, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Sexual Content, Supernatural Elements, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-23
Updated: 2012-10-23
Packaged: 2017-11-16 22:27:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/544521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ischa/pseuds/Ischa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one in which Jared is immortal and Beckett an insane vampire. </p><p>  <i>William smiled. Beautifully and a bit coy. It was all an act, Jared knew. William Beckett, vampire king of Chicago, insane and heartbreakingly pretty could sell you hell and make you enjoy every second of it. Maybe even make you beg for more.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Poetry of fossils

**Author's Note:**

> The art is by the very talented dhfreak. I love this art, because it is SO classy. You guys. <3 All the hearts.  
> Beta by the lovely saar_fantasy. Thank you so much.  
> This is a sequel/companion piece to [Immortal](http://archiveofourown.org/works/509203).

_Prologue_

_“What the hell are you doing here?” Jared asked. He had the vague urge to slam the door in the king’s face, but he was also curious._

_“I was in the neighbourhood-“_

_“Right,” Jared said._

_“Can I come in?” Beckett asked. The funny thing was that Jared really thought he would just go away if Jared said no._

_“Be my guest.”_

_“You are way nicer than Adam made it sound.”_

_“That’s because I am not nice to Lambert,” Jared answered, stepping aside so the king of Chicago could enter his house._

_Once inside, Beckett waited for Jared to close the door and then followed him into the kitchen._

_“Nice house,” Beckett said._

_“Thank you, I will give you the number of my interior designer. Can I get you something?”_

_“Tea? Chai?”_

_“Sugar?”_

_“Yes, it just doesn’t taste the same with honey, you know?” Beckett answered, sitting down at the kitchen table._

_Jared nodded and turned to prepare tea. He could feel Beckett’s gaze on his every move. “I couldn’t believe it at first, but I really, really wanted to,” the king said._

_“What?”_

_“About you being a real immortal. About Kris being one. Of course, Adam couldn’t fall for anyone else. He had always had exquisite taste and was allergic to the ordinary.”_

_Kris, Jared thought, was anything but ordinary. He took the mugs and set them down on the table, shoving one over to Beckett._

_“He’s in love with Kris?”_

_“Hell yes. He just got a weeklong vacation, so he could fly to Arkansas and talk him into coming back or sleeping with him or whatever.”_

_Jared smiled, despite himself. It was always interesting to actually meet one of the subjects in his files. William Beckett, king of Chicago since 1839, was a nice enough vampire to have tea with.  
“I don’t think Kris will make it that easy. He is pretty fucked up by all this.” By Adam, he thought, but there was nothing Jared could do except letting Kris do whatever he thought he needed to do and be there for him when he came back. Or called, or send a crow or whatever. _

_“Understandable. I am very sorry.” Beckett said and he sounded sincere._

_“It wasn’t your fault. You are not king of LA. I blame, of course, Lambert.”_

_Beckett made a face. He looked really young, Jared thought, and pretty. Eternally boyish, eternally beautiful. Worth a sin or two until the end of time. Jared wasn’t fascinated by vampires as a rule. His job was to kill them when they stepped out of line, so he tried not to mingle, not to care for them as people. Beckett so obviously cared for him, though, was interested, had been for some time now. It threw Jared a bit off his game._

_“He’s new at this king business. Give him time. He will be a good king.”_

_“He is a good king. This city is a good one to live in. But I am not sure he is good for Kris.”_

_“Kris is good for him,” Beckett answered, which was very true, but it didn’t’ seem fair._

_Jared nodded in acknowledgment and drank his tea. “I am surprised,” he said after a long silence._

_“Yeah? About what?”_

_“Why you don’t ask a million way too personal questions,” Jared said, setting his empty mug aside.  
Beckett mirrored his moves and then rested his chin on his hands. He smiled. _

_“You wouldn’t answer them today. You would probably put that knife to my throat if I tried anything.”_

_Jared smiled at him. He maybe would. “So?”_

_“I’m saving it all for when you want to tell me.”_

_Jared laughed. “That will never happen.”_

_“I have an eternity to wear you down, to woo you into it, Jared,” Beckett answered, getting up. Jared’s name sounded kind of forbidden the way Beckett said it. It made Jared’s heart stutter for a second. “And so have you,” he added as he extended his hand to Jared. “It was a pleasure.”_

_Jared shook it, it felt cool and small in his own fingers. “It was,” he answered and he meant it._

_“Maybe we can have a midnight stroll at the cemetery soon? Or you could,” he leaned over lightning fast and whispered: “fuck me like the devil?”_

_Jared laughed._

 

 **~1~**  
“I'm thinking about a band,” Beckett said as soon as Jared picked up the phone. 

Jared didn't even wonder where the king of Chicago got his number. He was sure Beckett had lots of minions for that, as it was one of the perks of being a king. 

“And you are calling me because?” 

“You have a band,” Beckett said. 

“I bet you could just make your own and give them lots of money to make an album and-”

“I want to do it right. From scratch.” 

Jared sat down. “I'm not going to help you just because you are king. And if your album is shit, I will tell you.” 

“You are a mean one.” 

“I'm sure you said I was nicer than Lambert made me out to be,” Jared answered with a smile. Despite himself he found Beckett to be good company on most days. 

“But, Jared... Adam hates your guts,” Beckett said reasonably. 

Which was surely true to some point. Jared couldn’t help it, he didn't have much love left for Lambert either. Mostly he lived his undead life because Kris was heads over heels for him. 

“Can't imagine why, to be honest. I let him live after all.” 

“He's petty like that, you know?” Beckett answered. “So, my band?” 

“Are you that bored?” Jared asked. 

“I am a bit bored now that Adam is in the jungle, trying to be a savage Anne Rice vampire. I bet they aren't even wearing any clothes anymore.” He sighed and Jared crossed his living room to pick up the small piece of bark he got in the mail three weeks ago. A sign Kris was still alive and also that he had no intention of coming back yet. Jared was sure Kris would come back one day. 

“The world is ending,” Jared joked. But he was impressed a bit that Lambert dealt without nail-polish, MTV and real showers that well. Of course Kris wouldn't care much for stuff like that. Kris had a history of being on missions in places with no running water. 

“Well, then what kind of band do you want to have?” 

“An awesome one,” Beckett answered. Beckett was such a kid sometimes. Jared shook his head. 

“Tell me more about it.” 

“You're just humouring me, but I don't care,” Beckett replied and Jared sat down to listen to Beckett's rambling. 

~+~  
William was bored now that he couldn’t call up Adam at every hour of the night and day to talk. He wanted to do something fun. He had always told Adam to find himself a hobby and now that Adam found something better: a purpose to be, well now Beckett was bored to death. Undeath, whatever. First, he thought, he would have to check out the music scene in Chicago. Chicago was always were the music was. Had always been too. William could remember. Jazz and Blues and all Rock n' Roll. He missed it a bit too, but you couldn't just go back to the past and besides, the future was so much more exciting. 

He grabbed the phone to call Jared. 

“I have shit to do, you know?” 

“Hunting or music related shit?” William asked. 

Jared sighed. “Be right back,” he said to someone. Maybe to his brother maybe to someone else. Beckett didn't care as long as he had Jared's undivided attention now. “Shannon isn't too happy with me right now.” 

“Because you're hanging out with the vampire king of Chicago?” 

“We try not to mingle with the undead,” Jared answered. 

“We aren't mingling. I am wearing you down so you'll tell me all your secrets, Jared.” 

“That is not helping to win my brother over.” 

“I bet he was so pissed when you didn't kill Adam,” William said. 

“He had been hunting a Chubacabra at the time, and wasn't in the States.” 

“Which does not mean he doesn't know and wasn't pissed,” William answered. 

“What do you want? I am in the middle of a photo-shoot.” 

“I'm going to Chicago to check out the music-scene there. Wanna come?” 

“No,” Jared answered and then just hung up on him. 

Beckett stared at his phone for a few minutes and then laughed. No one had treated him like that in years! 

 

 **~2~**  
Sometimes William missed the good old times when hunting down criminal scum wasn't considered murder. Murderers got killed all the time back then and it didn't matter how they died, because the police didn't care. No one cared. 

It had been paradise for vampires once upon a time and then people noticed and there were pitchforks and torches. Not that William had ever dealt with that kind of shit. 

He turned a corner and followed the two though guys into the warehouse silently. They hadn't seen or heard him.  
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, William thought. 

The warehouse was a mess of old furniture and broken people. There was a pretty girl in the corner, high as a kite. She smelled of unwashed skin and death in her veins, but she was sill beautiful and William really wanted her. Wanted her blood in his veins. She reached out with one thin arm and one of the guys laughed. It was ugly. William knew all too well why they were here. Usually he didn't care for humans much. At least not about the driftwood that lived at the edges of society. They were all damaged goods. 

“Hey,” he said, emerging from the shadows. His voice was loud enough to be heard and commanding. He couldn’t help it. He was king of Chicago. He had been king of Chicago for so long he hardly believed it himself. 

They guys turned around as one. They weren't pretty: average faces, big, mean. William just knew they were that kind that liked to play around with victims. The savage, animal part of his being could relate, the rest not so much. 

“Look what the cat dragged in,” one said and the other laughed. 

William nearly rolled his eyes. People were such clichés.

“Just leave the girl alone,” he answered, stepping closer. He meant it too, if they would leave her alone and just go, he would let them live. If not, well... To be honest, the chance that they would die was really high right now. 

“Why?” 

“Because I want her.” 

“She isn't much worth-”

“I don't want to fuck her,” William interrupted. 

There was a raised eyebrow. “No?”

“No,” William said. He was close enough now that he could see her pulse fluttering. It made his teeth itch. He wasn't paying much attention to the guys in the room. He wasn't paying much attention to anything to be honest. 

“Hey...” one of them said and reached out. 

William sidestepped him with ease. “Last chance,” William hissed. 

There was shuffling and hesitation and then he heard footsteps. Wow, he thought, some people were smarter than William gave them credit for. 

“Hi there, pretty,” he whispered as he knelt down on the filthy mattress she was lying on. 

“Your face...” she said softly and reached out to touch it. He let her. She deserved to feel something soft in that moment he took her he thought, and then he leaned in and sunk his teeth into her jugular. The blood was always tangy there, but William liked it and it fit her. Her blood was laced with all kinds of chemicals: impure and sharp. As he drank from her, listening to her heartbeat slowing down, he wondered how Jared would taste. He would not drink Jared's blood from his jugular, he would drink it from his femoral artery of the right leg. He would bite it and suck gently and he would make Jared moan. He opened his eyes and stepped back from her corpse. Where the hell did that come from? He hadn't been interested in someone in way too long that way. True, he had told Jared to fuck him, but it had been more of a joke. William can't even remember when the last time was he wanted to be fucked or fuck someone. Maybe Adam wasn't the only one with a problem. 

~+~  
“Normal vamps are bad enough, J, but kings? The worst kind you could hang out with. He will screw you over,” Shannon said. He lit a smoke and then one for Jared and handed it over. 

Jared nodded his thanks. He knew. He didn't need his brother to tell him that Beckett was probably bad news. Beckett couldn’t be called too stable in the sanity department. If the legends, rumours, whatever were true he had been created in an asylum for the insane. God only knew if that was true, as Beckett's maker was dead. Killed. There were no records of what Beckett did after the asylum burned down. Jared would give half his liver to hear that story. He always wanted to pierce that bit of history together. 

“It's not like I invited him in,” Jared said. 

Shannon gave him a look. “They don't need an invitation to fuck up your life for good. Look at Kris.” 

“Kris and Lambert are fine.” 

“They are hiding out in the jungle. Probably hunting cats and natives and having mad sex in the dirt.” 

Jared looked at his brother amused. “Really? Aren't you a bit too invested in that fantasy?” 

Shannon sighed and took another deep drag. “I'm just saying. I don't want to lose you to the jungle over this.” 

“That won't happen. I have the feeling Beckett is fucking bored now that Lambert is gone.” 

“That's even worse. A bored vampire is a dangerous vampire. There is a reason we don't make friends with them. It's hard to kill friends,” Shannon said. 

“I am not friends with Beckett.” 

“The king of Chicago calls you awfully often these days, J.” Shannon tossed Jared his phone. There were three messages from Beckett. He put his cell away and took another drag of his cigarette. Shannon was right, but then again, Shannon was often right. 

“I bet it's about him going to Chicago to find members for his band.” 

Shannon laughed. “Let me guess. He wants you to come with. Because you are such good fucking company.” 

“I am fucking good company.” 

“He's insane,” Shannon said with emphasis. There was nothing Jared could say to deny that. Beckett was insane. Chronicles told of his rage in the first few decades as a young vampire. 

“Lambert claims he's on the good side of insane now.” 

“We don't trust Lambert, wanna know why? Because he's a vamp too,” Shannon replied. He crushed his cigarette butt on the empty coffee mug and flipped it onto the street below the small balcony. Jared finished his own and nodded. 

As said before: Shannon was right more often than not. 

 

 **~3~**  
Beckett found him just outside his favourite coffee place. He stepped into his path and looked at him, kind of disappointed. 

“I was calling you,” he said. 

Jared sidestepped him and Beckett fell into step with him. “I see you are back from your little trip to Chicago. How was it?” 

“Do you really care or do you only want to mock me?” Beckett asked. Jared risked a sidelong glance at him. Forever a boy. Forever beautiful and soft looking. Did it piss Beckett off or was he glad he looked like butter wouldn't melt between those pretty lips? 

“I only want to mock you,” Jared answered. 

“I said it before and I say it again: you are a mean one.” 

“I have a music career, a movie career and am a hunter of _things_. I need to be mean or this city will eat me alive.”

“Nothing can kill you,” Beckett said. 

It was true, but that didn't mean Jared enjoyed to get hurt or die. He stopped in the middle of the pavement and looked at Beckett. “It doesn't matter. I don't like pain much. Dying and coming back sucks. Every freaking time.” 

“I didn't mean-”

“Yes, you did,” Jared interrupted. The old vampires rarely had any respect left for human life. It was really fucking sad, Jared thought. 

Beckett bit his lip, but didn't answer. 

“I really have no idea why you're here. What do you want from me?” Jared asked. 

“I told you. I'm bored.” 

“Go and build a house for orphans in Africa. Do something meaningful with your eternal life and money.” 

“I'm not Kris!” Beckett bit out. 

“I know, but I am not here for your entertainment. I have my own life and it's short enough. I don't have to tell you how hard it is to be immortal.” 

“I am not,” Beckett said. 

“You are.” 

“I am not. You, Kris, your kind; you are the only true immortals walking this earth. We are just vampires. Blood-suckers, nightmares with big teeth. We can be killed. We can kill ourselves if we really want to.” 

Jared always wondered how desperate you'll have to be to cut out your own heart and set your house on fire. He never really wanted to find out. 

“Did you want to?” Jared asked. 

Beckett stepped away from him. “No,” he answered.

“Your lot had an awfully high mortality rate in the 19th century.” 

“I was already king back then, Jared.” He started walking again and Jared followed. Jared knew that of course. He knew everything that could be known about the king of Chicago. He had been king for a long, long time. This here was his opportunity to find out more. Everyone needed a hobby, his had been vampire kings. Still was. They were something like his messed up version of collector cards. 

“Hey, Beckett?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Wanna go for that midnight stroll at the cemetery?” 

Beckett stopped and then turned to look at him. “Are you kidding? Because I can rip your heart out and I can do it right now.” 

Jared smiled. “In broad daylight?” 

Beckett shrugged. “I am sure you have a handy file that states in big red letters that I am in fact insane.” 

“I'm not kidding.” 

“Let me sleep on it,” Beckett answered. 

~+~  
“Your email sounded like you were going insane,” Adam said. 

“Oh thank fucking god!” William answered. He sat up straight and then slouched back into the comfortable chair. It was new, well, not really. It was vintage. He missed the blood-stained couch they used to have in Chicago roughly 160 years ago. 

“Are you being melodramatic or is shit going down somehow and I need to come back?” Adam did sound just a little bit alarmed.

“I don't know.”

“William,” Adam stressed his name. It was never a good sign and now William couldn’t even put him in his place anymore, because Adam was fucking king of LA, which made them equals. It didn't matter that Adam hadn't been seen in LA for over three years because he had been, still was, on an epic quest to win Kris' all too human heart somewhere in the jungle of the Amazons.

“You know I only fuck around with people, right?” 

“Yeah,” Adam said carefully. 

“I don't believe in friendship with anyone who isn't a vampire, because they don't know how it feels.”

“Yeah...wait, is this about Jared Leto,” Adam said carefully, “because I don't like it. Not at all, if it is.” 

“Maybe,” William allowed. He bit his lip until it bled and then licked it away. He was getting hungry. 

“Sadly I can't throw the first stone here, but I so want to. He is a hunter and you are an insane vampire king. I love you and you know it, but don't even try to compare this to me and Kris, because I know you just want to.” Adam sounded stern. They knew each other too well. 

“No one could be as sickeningly good as Kris, Adam.” 

“Don't even,” Adam answered. He sounded frustrated now. “Don't fuck with him, okay? If you do fuck this up, he _will_ kill you.” 

“Why are you so sure?” 

“Because Kris told me,” Adam replied. 

“What are my options then? Being a domesticated vampire or leave Leto alone?” 

“Go back to Chicago.” 

“I just came back from Chicago.” 

“Why?” Adam asked. 

“Because Jared is here.” William closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

“Fuck,” Adam said. 

“Yeah,” William answered. It was already too late and the kicker was, he hadn't even realized it. 

“You think you can just leave it alone?” Adam asked. 

“You know me. I don't think so.” 

“But you can't turn him, William. He is already something else than human. He is more than human.” 

William could hear the concern in Adam's voice. “You're still not coming back, are you?”

“No, I can't. I just – I can't. I can't leave yet. I need to be here. With Kris.” 

And the thing was, William really got that one. Everything that lessens the boredom of centuries was a good thing. Every human who could do that was a freaking miracle. 

“Bill?”

“Yeah, I'm still listening. I bet you are running out of coins or whatever.”

“Not the point. Just try to hang on to that sanity. Please. I don't want to have to kill Jared. It would make Kris sad.” 

William laughed. It was funny in a way. “I am trying. Believe me. I am.” 

“I wish he would've just fucked you like the devil.” 

“Yeah, I wish he did too. I'm going to hang up now.” 

“Bill, find something else to obsess about.” 

“Remember that couch we had?” 

“The one with the blood-stains?” 

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, I remember it,” Adam said.

“I'm going to try and hunt that thing down.” 

“That's the spirit, although I always hated that couch.” 

“I know,” William answered. “Take care.” 

“Stay sane and alive until I'm back. At least.” 

“I'll try my best,” William promised and hung up.

 

 **~4~**  
Sometimes William dreamed about the time he had been human, but the dreams were as hazy as the memories of that time. What would always be clear in his mind, were the months spent in the asylum for the insane. Those memories were like a movie playing in his mind at times. It was true, he was on the good side of insane now, but now and then he just wanted to rip things apart and maybe bath in blood. He didn't entertain that kind of thoughts often, but there was a pattern.

Obsessions needed to be killed immediately. He saw something and he got it. He saw someone and he took that someone too. 180 years ago it had been Adam. William had seen that human being and just knew that Adam needed to be his and so he made Adam a vampire. Took him home, loved him like the only thing that was worth anything in that filthy world they were existing in and he did teach Adam everything he knew and in return Adam kept him sane.  
Adam was still keeping him sane. But Adam was too far away now.  
William was obsessing. He wanted Jared. He wanted him like he had wanted Adam back then, but with Jared he couldn’t have it. 

He grabbed the phone and tried to call Jared again. 

“I swear to god,” Jared said. 

“Did I wake you?” 

“I am a human being. I need to sleep, so the answer is yes. It's fucking three in the morning. Is your house on fire, because if it isn't I'm gonna hang up.” 

“I need you to fuck me,” William said. 

There was silence on the other end of the line. Heavy silence, interrupted by breathing. Shallow, soft in and exhales. “You need to stop messing around, Beckett,” Jared said eventually. 

“I am not. I am obsessing and it never ever ends well when I do that. Jared. I really mean it.” 

“You can't just-” he stopped. “Jesus, fuck. I am not your toy. I am not-”

“I know,” William answered, because he knew. Oh, fuck did he know that. That was half the problem. “When I was nineteen they locked me up in an asylum for the insane. Back in the day it wasn't what it's now. Such an institution. It was basically a free ticket for all kinds of perverts. Torture and sexual abuse was a daily thing and I was pretty back then. I mean, really fucking pretty, like a girl. I was wearing dresses for that one doctor because he got off on it and-”

“Why are you telling me this?” Jared interrupted. 

“Because you need to know,” William answered. 

“I don't.”

“Yes, you do. You do. I know you do.”And maybe he sounded a bit frantic now, but he didn't really care.

Jared sighed. “Let me get a fucking smoke.” 

“Okay,” William answered, sitting down on the floor of his nearly empty apartment. It was a new place. He just couldn't stand the last one. He had had the urge to burn it down. “I'm fucked up,” he said. 

“I figured.” 

“I mean it. Not only insane like your beloved grand-aunt Barbara. _Insane._ ” 

“I don't have an aunt called Barbara,” Jared said. 

William could hear him inhaling smoke. It kept him centred. “That’s because no one of your family except your brother is still alive, Jared.” 

“Does it help, the sex with strangers?” Jared asked, ignoring the stuff about his family. 

“Sometimes. More often than not. But I know I can kill them, you know? I want to kill them too. Part of me always, always wants to make someone pay for what they did to me. And when I'm fucked, it all goes away for a while.” 

“Did Lambert did that for you?” 

William took a deep breath. “It had always been different with Adam.” 

“You actually cared for Lambert,” Jared caught on. 

“Yeah.” 

“And you don't care about me?” Jared asked. His voice sounded neutral. William couldn't tell what he was thinking. 

“I'm trying not to. People I care about end up undead.” 

“Ah,” Jared said. “And you can't turn me.”

“You are an anomaly,” William answered. 

“You are seriously messed up,” Jared said. 

“I know.” 

“Why were you in that asylum in the first place?” Jared wanted to know. 

“I can't remember. Memories are hazy.” 

“Bullshit. But it's okay if you don't want to tell me.” 

William leaned his head against the wall. “I was a horrible kid and stubborn too. And strong-willed. It hadn't been the time for being who I am.” 

“So, your parents wanted to fix your what? Head? Sexuality?” 

“A bit of both I guess,” William answered. “I used to write poems about people.” 

“What kind of people?”

“People I had crushes on. My sister.”

“You were in love with your sister?” 

“In a way,” William said. “She died young. I missed her every day. She just felt so real to me, even after we buried her.” 

“Your parents thought you were insane. But you weren't.” 

“No, I think what people call it now is 'gifted',” William snorted. It still made him mad to think about it. So he rather not. 

“Do you see her still?” Jared asked, his voice was gentle. 

“No. Vampires can't see the dead.” 

“How did you get turned?” Jared asked. 

“There was this one guy, Doctor. Meyer. He told my parents he could fix me. He could make me all better.”

“Vampires can't see the dead. He knew of course what was wrong with you.” 

“Yes and he-” William bit his lip until it bled again. “He thought I was pretty. He thought I would be his, because back then that was how these things were handled.” 

“Your maker is dead.” 

“I killed him. I killed him and I loved every second of it and then I burned that place down.” He took another deep breath. “And then I burned down my parents' house.” He had never told anyone about that. He thought maybe Adam had suspected it anyway. 

“Are you feeling better now?” Jared asked. 

William thought about it. “Yes,” he answered eventually. 

“Good. I am hanging up now, because I have a life that doesn't revolve around you.” 

“Night Jared.” 

“Good night William Beckett, king of Chicago.” 

~+~  
Jared had collected a lot of stories over the centuries as a hunter, but hearing Beckett admit to murder and insanity: It made something unpleasant twist in his stomach. 

“He called again,” Shannon said after taking one look at Jared. 

Jared nodded. “Yeah.” 

Shannon handed him a cup of coffee. “And he is more messed up than you thought.” 

Jared looked at him. 

“Don't even try. I know you all my life. You have that look. You get it when you think something needs to happen and soon. From one to American Psycho how bad is it?” 

Jared took a sip from his coffee. “Seven, at least.” 

“At least you are not lying to yourself about it. I was worried there for a second.” 

“Funny.”

“No, not really. Do you remember why we took that yearlong vacation from hunting?” Shannon wanted to know. 

“Because Katy wanted a turn at ass-kicking?” Jared mused. 

Shannon punched him in the arm, hard. Fucker, Jared thought.  
“No. Because she is a doctor and we were nearly insane with all the shit we've seen and did. And you have nothing better to do than hang out with one of the kings that are on our 'Probably have to off them' list. That can't be ever called sane behaviour.” 

“He's not that bad,” Jared heard himself say. 

Shannon gave him a look and then punched him again. “Listen to yourself here. I don't want to kill him. I don't want to kill anyone in the next few years, but I will. If he fucks you up like Lambert did with Kris. I will.” 

“Lambert and Kris are fucking each other's brains out by now,” Jared answered. 

“Is that it then? You want a piece of that ass?” Shannon asked. 

Jared shrugged. He had no idea. He never before wanted a piece of vampire ass, or a piece of male ass. But from the moment Beckett appeared on his doorstep something hot was brewing inside his stomach. 

“You know I don't fucking care who you fuck. But, insane really shouldn't be your type. Insane shouldn’t be anyone's type.” 

“I was afraid you would say 'dead',” Jared said. 

Shannon rolled his eyes. The coffee was cold by now and he put the cup aside. “They aren't dead. They are just... different; and they drink blood and I wanted to kill them all once upon a time, but they aren't all the same, like normal people aren't. Just, be fucking careful,” Shannon answered. 

“You will kill him if this gets out of hand, right?” Jared asked. He needed to be sure on that point. Sometimes you need to trust someone else if you aren't sure you can trust yourself. 

“Yes, I will and I know you will hate me, but I will,” his brother answered seriously.  
Jared nodded. 

 

 **~5~**  
“I wrote a book once,” William said. He was sitting on the couch and not looking at Jared. He had been standing on Jared's porch this morning again and Jared didn't have had it in him to tell him to fuck off. So he let Beckett in, again, and made him a mug of chai tea too. 

Jared took a deep drag of his cigarette, held it in too long, just long enough so his lungs started to protest and let the smoke out slowly. He knew a girl once that went wild over it when he let her watch. It was a pretty specific kink. Good times. 

“Was it any good?” Jared asked. 

William shrugged. “I don't know. People bought it. But what does that say about the quality of a book?” 

“These days? Nothing,” Jared answered. 

William looked at him then. “You are thinking Twilight.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Adam loves that book,” William said. 

“Only shows that his taste is shitty when it comes to books.” 

“I think he likes it because they are all we are not, you know?” William said. He took a careful sip of his tea. It was still hot, but drinking hot beverage was a rehearsed behaviour. Jared knew it, had witnessed it so many times he couldn’t even count. 

“Anne Rice vamps are everything you are not too.” 

William smiled over the rim of the mug. His smile was always boyish. A bit flirty too. No wonder people thought he was just another kid. 

“No, I think Mrs Rice got it pretty much right. Remember Nicholas who went mad after he was turned?” William asked and as Jared nodded he went on. “A lot of the vampires who were carelessly, selfishly turned went mad.” 

“Or those that already were a bit different?” 

“Ah...yes, those too. I am not sure, but I think the stay at the asylum made me who I am. It damaged who I used to be.” 

“But you are still here and sane enough to be king of Chicago.” 

“By name only these days. Mostly it's Ryan who manages shit back home. And I don't miss it. Much,” Beckett admitted.

“Are you thinking about quitting?” Jared asked, he leaned a bit forward in his chair. 

William put his mug on the table and leaned in too. “Being king?” 

Jared wasn't sure if he meant only that. He nodded nevertheless. “Yes.” 

“Or, everything?” William asked, because of course he knew. “I lied before. I did try it. Before Adam.” 

“You have to be pretty fucking desperate to cut out your own heart and set yourself on fire.” 

“Seems I wasn't desperate enough,” William whispered and there was so much pain in his eyes, even if his tone was light, that Jared grabbed his neck and dragged him closer. 

“You are insane,” he said softly. 

“Yes,” William answered and it was more of an answer to the unspoken question, Jared knew, and so he kissed William. 

~+~  
The kiss was soft and gentle and everything William didn't want it to be. He could have had dragged Jared closer, could have pushed him down and took what he wanted, what he needed, but then Jared would have hated him forever and ever and ever. Because they were both pretty much immortal at this point. William still could be killed, but he was king, he was protected and he was old. He was smarter, faster and stronger than most vampires too.  
Jared ended the kiss and let go of William's neck slowly, like he didn't want to, but knew that he had to anyway. 

William grabbed his mug, partly so he could hide behind it, partly to wash away Jared's taste. 

“You probably shouldn't have done that,” he said after a few moments of silence. 

“You're probably right, but you looked like you needed it.” 

“I always need something,” William answered. It was more like a constant craving, but he thought Jared got it anyway. 

“Did you think about therapy?” Jared asked. 

William laughed. “Really? You want me to tell all this to a shrink? With my history with these kind of doctors,” he spit the last word out and took a deep calming breath, “and hug it out?” He put the mug down again, because if he didn't, he would break that thing over Jared's head. “They would try to lock me up again.” 

“Not one of them. One of us,” Jared said calmly. 

“You really are the good Immortals, aren't you?”

“We just try to be decent human beings.” 

“Isn't that awfully boring?” William asked. It was flirty, sometimes he just couldn’t help himself. Especially around things he wanted and knew he could have. 

“I have enough excitement,” Jared answered, leaning away. 

William wanted to follow him. He really, really wanted to push Jared out of that chair and pin him down to the floor. “I doubt that,” he said instead. 

Jared smiled and looked at him. It made William feel hot, like the boy he looked like, but wasn't anymore. Hadn't been for centuries. He felt himself blush. This was crazy. 

“You really, really shouldn’t be doing that if you don't mean it,” William whispered. “Playing with vampires isn't like charming snakes or hunting down rouge werewolves.”

“And you think I don't have enough excitement,” Jared answered. 

“If you had, you wouldn't try to make me jump your bones,” William hissed. He was getting irritated. He needed to feed, he hadn't in a few days. Hunger could make things worse for him, for his prey, for Jared right now.

“I'm not,” Jared answered. 

“What are you doing then?” William asked. 

Jared looked at him kind of blank.

“Oh,” William said. “”You have _no_ idea.” 

It was a revelation. Maybe it shouldn't be one, because Jared was just a person, no matter the fact that he was immortal and wise and shit. He was still just a person. William felt a laugh bubble up somewhere in his throat and bit down on it. 

“I wish I could deny that,” Jared answered. 

“I should go. Thanks for,” William got up and waved his hand in a gesture that included 'everything'. 

“You're welcome.” Jared meant it. William could tell. He wanted to lean over and kiss Jared again, but he couldn’t, wouldn't. Adam would give him so much shit for this. 

 

 **~6~**  
William ripped into the first man like he hadn't eaten in years instead of days. He was starving and he was mad. After all these years, decades, centuries, he knew all his triggers and he knew how to avoid getting into too dark places, but Jared left him feeling helpless and unbalanced. Violent too.  
It was no good, no good at all. 

He threw the body aside and grabbed the other. He was too young and normally William would at least care for that, but not tonight. He wasn't even hungry anymore, but he needed, well, maybe not needed, but he wanted to kill something. Someone. And these little punks had pissed him off. A bad case of wrong place, wrong time, wrong guy to piss off. 

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and leaned against the wall. He was trying not to think, but that never helped. Never worked.  
He took a deep breath and was about to find someone for the night when his phone rang.

“What?” he asked. 

“Good to know you are still alive,” Ryan said. He sounded between bored and pissed off, but then again, he mostly sounded like that. That's why no one even tried to argue with Ryan. And because Spencer would kick their asses. 

“Poor choice of words, Ross,” William answered. 

“You are in a mood. Great,” Ryan sighed. William could hear voices on the other side of the line. He waited Ryan out. Well, he tried to wait Ryan out. 

“Ryan,” he stressed Ryan's name. It was almost a hiss. 

“We have a situation here,” Ryan answered. 

“What kind of situation?” William wanted to know. If Ryan was calling and skirting around the issue – that was not good. 

“A war,” Ryan said. Matter of fact. 

William banged his head against the wall. “Kill them all,” he answered. There were other options to deal with a war on their territory, but William was king long enough to know that only killing all of the insurrectionists would solve the problem. 

“We would, but one of them is a vampire.” 

“And?” William was known for killing his own kind. That was partly why he was called insane and because he actually was. But there was hardly anyone who knew the dimension of his insanity. 

“Did you read the new laws? I e-mailed them, William.” 

“I didn’t have time to read up on vampire politics, for god's sake, that's why I have you for. Brief me now.” 

Ryan sighed again and Spencer laughed in the background. William missed Spencer and his laugh. He took a deep calming breath. It didn't work. 

“Killing our own isn't as easy as it has been. There are procedures now and rules.” 

“Who made that vamp anyway?” 

“You,” Ryan answered. 

William felt a headache in the back of his mind. This couldn’t be what he thought it was about. “It's Wentz, isn't it?” 

“Yes. And he wants to be king of Chicago.” 

“He's too young to be king,” William answered. 

“He doesn't care for the rules or the laws. You need to come back and deal with it or abdicate,” Ryan replied. 

Well, fuck. 

~+~  
“You are in deep shit,” Shannon said after one look at Jared. 

Jared nodded. He was. “In my defence, I didn't mean for it to happen,” he said and Shannon shook his head and ushered him in.

“Whisky?” 

“Yeah and don't put the bottle away. I think I need to be drunk so I won't do anything stupid.” 

Shannon raised an eyebrow. 

“More stupid then. Fine. Just shut up.” 

“Didn't say a fucking word.” 

“Even if you don't say a word I can feel you judging me.” 

Shannon grinned and got out the glasses and the bottle. By the end of the night they would be sharing the bottle, the glasses abandoned on the floor or on a counter. 

“And then you kissed him like the softy you really are,” Shannon concluded as Jared finished his re-telling of the 'William incident' as he liked to call it in his head. 

Jared nodded, grabbing for the bottle. His brother handed it over and lit a smoke.  
Jared took a long sip and leaned his head against the couch. “I have no fucking idea what I am doing.” 

“At least you can't die. Maybe you should talk to Kris. He is dating a vampire,” Shannon said. 

Jared kicked him. “First: NO. Second: NO, third: HELL NO.” 

Shannon kicked right back. Harder than he needed to to make his point, Jared thought meanly.  
“Just call him or write him a mail.”

“He's in the freaking jungle. Not wearing clothes and having mad sex with Lambert. There are no phones where he is. I am sure.” 

“Did you try to send a mail?” Shannon asked. 

Why, why did his brother have to torture him? “No, because I won't hear the end of it from Lambert. I don't need that shit on top of everything else.” 

“You can't ignore this. Beckett is insane and you knew before-” 

“Not how insane he is. He has episodes. But I thought, well-”

“They were age related? Vampire related? Blood related? What?” Shannon asked. He took the bottle from Jared's unresisting fingers and took a swig. Shannon was way too good at holding his liquor. At least they couldn’t die of alcohol poisoning. It was hell to wake up from one anyway.

“I don't know. I don't have all the answers just because I was born earlier, or because I hunted down seven vampire kings or because I am hundreds of years old!” Jared exploded. He just wanted his life back. A life where Beckett had been a name in a file and someone to look at once in a while. To check if he lost it altogether so Jared could scatter his ashes and bury his heart. 

“Then talk to Kris. I remember Kris had a plan.” 

“Kris' plan had involved getting killed by Lambert at least four times! That is not a plan I find helpful. I hate dying or whatever it is that we do instead. I don't want Beckett to kill me, besides he knows already. He knows he can't kill me. He knows he can't turn me. I have no idea what he thinks we're doing.” He sighed and closed his eyes. He heard Shannon lit another cigarette and held his hand out. 

“So, you're both clueless and immortal. You know what the good part about that is?” Shannon asked as he handed the cigarette over to Jared. 

Jared opened his eyes and turned a bit to have a better view of Shannon’s face. “Do tell,” he said and took a deep drag. 

“You have all the time in the world to figure it out.” 

“Not helpful,” Jared answered even it was true. 

“You might think differently in ten years,” his brother replied calmly. 

 

 **~7~**  
“I'll be out of town for a while,” Beckett said as soon as Jared picked up. It was still pitch black outside. Jared didn't even risk a glance at the clock, because he could be tempted to kill Beckett. He could hear rain drumming against the window. It was a shitty night it seemed. 

“You could’ve just left a message,” Jared answered, closing his eyes again. He needed to sleep.  
There was silence on the other end of the line. Jared knew all kinds of silences, this here was a bad one. “What the hell is going on and where are you going?” 

“Vampire business,” William answered.

That just wouldn't do. What the fuck was Beckett thinking? “I thought your second in command was dealing with all the shit you had no fun with.” 

William laughed. “Yeah, I am thinking maybe I'm paying him too much.” 

“Don't deflect. What is so important that you need to go in the middle of the night? And that you feel the fucking need to call me.” 

“War,” William answered and he sounded so freaking far away. Jared sat up in his bed and listened to William’s calm breathing on the other side of the line. 

“Where are you?” he wanted to know. He had already made up his mind about this. There was nothing to do here anyway right now. The band was on a break. He was immortal. Shannon would give him shit for this, but whatever. 

“Outside your door,” William whispered and Jared didn't even crack a comment on cliché stalker vampires, he got up and raced down to open the door. 

“If you're kidding-”

“I am not,” William said as Jared opened the door. He switched his phone off. 

“What the hell are you-”

“I don't know,” William interrupted. He pocketed his cell-phone and just looked at Jared. In the pouring rain. Jared knew William couldn’t get a cold, but. 

“Come the fuck in. Just looking at you makes me freeze to the bones.” 

William smiled. His hair was a mess and there were raindrops rolling down the side of his nose and over his lips and Jared had only so much fucking self-restrain. He grabbed William by the shirt and pulled him inside. 

His shirt was wet from William's clothes in seconds, Jared didn't care. He let William cling to him and hugged him in return. “Wanna shower and then a tea and then trying to tell me what the fuck is going on?” he asked. 

William nodded. “Yeah, at least to the first two.” 

~+~  
William stepped into the shower and tried not to think about what he wanted to tell Jared. He wanted to tell Jared everything, but it would be mostly a tale about William’s fucking disastrous judgement. And his weakness. He had made mistakes in creating vampires before, but he had dealt with those. He had killed them all. For some weird reason he couldn’t do it when Wentz became a problem. Maybe he had felt guilty. It had been clear that Wentz didn't want to become a vampire, but William had been sure that Pete would come around in a century or two. 

And now he couldn’t just kill him. He didn't want to. That was maybe the problem. He rinsed his hair and switched the shower off. He grabbed a towel, dried his hair a bit and walked into the kitchen where Jared was waiting for him with a mug of hot chai. 

“You are naked,” Jared said. 

“That is how the whole shower business works, you know?” William answered. 

“Yes, but normally you put on clothes when you're done.” 

“Mine are wet.” 

“Or use a towel to cover yourself,” Jared said smoothly. 

“You want me to cover myself?” William asked innocently. 

Jared swallowed and didn't look anywhere where it could be considered inappropriate. He handed the chai over to William who took it. He sat down at the table and sipped it carefully. 

“I could lend you clothes,” he said after a short silence. 

“I don't get cold,” William answered, which wasn't true. He did get cold when he didn't feed, but he did feed before coming here. There was probably blood on his clothes too. He hadn't been careful, he had been in a hurry. Every day he stayed here was a day Ryan and Spencer were at war with Wentz and his little band of unhappy misfits. Chicago’s underground wouldn't stay hidden long if there was a war raging in the streets between humans and supernaturals. William had no illusions that the war would stay between Wentz and the vampires. It never worked like that. People formed alliances and shit got out of hand. He wished Adam was here. People respected and feared Adam. 

“You're such a liar, Beckett. I know a thing or two about vampires,” Jared said. 

William smiled into his mug. Yeah, he supposed Jared did. He drained his mug and looked at Jared, who had been watching him all the time. Waiting.  
“I need to go back and deal with this one insanely angry vampire who declared war on his own kind and then I'll come back.” 

“Why do I not believe you?” Jared asked. His voice was soft and it made William shiver. There were things he wanted. He wanted these things so badly it hurt in his veins.

“I don't know, why don't you believe me?” 

“Because you are a liar and insane.” 

“I am.”

“So, why are you here then?” Jared asked. 

“You want me to lie to you?” William asked. He would. He would spin the most beautiful lie. 

Jared looked hard at him for a few endless seconds. “Yes,” he breathed.

William leaned over way too fast, but to his credit Jared didn't even flinch or gasp. He went with it. With William's hands in his shirt dragging him closer, with the edge of the table cutting into his stomach and William’s hot breath against his lips. 

“I won't,” William whispered and Jared kissed him. “Take me upstairs?” 

 

 **~8~**  
There were things William wanted, mostly it was all about him getting fucked and then feed and kill. This here, this here was different. 

“I am not sure I will come back,” William said between hot kisses. He licked over Jared's throat and didn't bite, kissed that spot where he could feel Jared's rapid pulse, so close under the surface. Blood rushing, pumping, alive. 

“You will,” Jared said. There was utter conviction in his voice. William laughed against his skin and tugged at his shirt. 

“You need to be wearing less clothes. So much less clothes, Jared,” William said. 

Jared pushed him away gently and stripped in seconds. William grabbed him, pulling him in. He was so warm to the touch. So alive, William would never get over the fact that humans felt so alive. Jared might be immortal, but he was also human. The only real immortal species on the planet and William wanted to taste his blood.  
He scraped his teeth alongside Jared's collarbone. Jared moaned.

“Bed,” Jared said. 

William was all for that idea, he walked them backwards to the edge and then just fell into the unmade bed. It smelled like Jared and not enough time. Which was such bullshit, William thought, they had all the time in the world. Probably, if Wentz didn't rip William’s heart out and burned the rest while he could still feel it. Jared bit him and he made a noise that was kind of embarrassing. No one bit him who wasn't a vampire. It was hot. Blunt, human teeth and just enough pressure to make him feel it. 

“I need you to let me fuck you.” 

Jared kissed the bite and looked up at him. His eyes were so clear, William thought. And the soul behind them old. And messed up. 

“That's not how you usually work,” Jared answered. 

“I-” he stopped, grabbed a handful of Jared's hair and tugged, maybe a bit too sharply. “I want to.” 

“And you can,” Jared said. His fingers were hot points of pressure against William's chilled skin. He shivered. He had no idea how not to take, even if he was getting fucked hard, he still took everything; blood, life and that glimpse of death. 

“I could hurt you,” William whispered. “I could kill you.” 

“I can't die,” Jared answered and kissed him hard. 

~+~  
“Do you sometimes wish you could?” William asked. His hands were around Jared's throat. Fingers digging in uncomfortably. He was so much stronger than Jared. 

“No,” he answered. He never wished for that. He knew that Kris did at one point, but even Kris in all his despair didn't ever ask for death. At least not Jared. 

“I did.” 

“I know,” Jared said and tugged at William's hair. “Do you want to kill me?” 

“I -” he bit his lip until it bleed. It didn't smell like anything that vampire blood. Jared had wondered about it. Why didn't it smell like wet copper? Maybe he would ask one day. “I fuck, I feed, I kill.” 

“And here we are,” Jared said and tugged again. William’s fingers loosened on his throat. “You already broke a million of your own insane rules.” 

“You did too. I bet one of them was not to care for us as individuals. Not to get close to the nut cases. You are the only ones who can take us out without starting a war.” 

“Just shut up and fuck me, why don't you?” 

William smiled. Beautifully and a bit coy. It was all an act, Jared knew. William Beckett, vampire king of Chicago, insane and heartbreakingly pretty could sell you hell and make you enjoy every second of it. Maybe even make you beg for more. 

“You will kill me one day, right?” he asked as he leaned in. 

“I will.” 

“Promise?” 

“A pinky swear maybe?” Jared asked, he wasn't joking. William ran a knuckle over his cheek and neckline. 

“No need for formalities,” he answered. 

 

 **~9~**  
Jared woke because William was leaving his bed. He was naked and pale and glorious and something fierce was settling inside Jared's stomach. 

“No note?” he asked. 

William turned to smile at him. He looked so very young like this, Jared thought. Morning sun was painting stripes on the floor, bed and William's skin, making it just a touch lighter. Nearly luminous.

“You don't need one. You keep taps on all vampire kings.” 

“I do.” 

“Would you keep taps on me if I weren't?” 

Jared sat up in his bed and looked up at William. “What are you saying?”

“Run away with me?” he asked. 

Shockingly enough the answer to that question was a 'yes'.  
“If you're thinking about abdicating, I think Lambert can show us a nice piece of jungle.” 

William laughed. “I wouldn’t be safe if I abdicated.” 

“Yes, you would. With me you would. I am a badass hunter. And I am immortal.” 

“And you have a life here. You have a band, you have-”

“Whatever. I can't keep it anyway. Everyone around me, except Shannon and Kris, die.” 

“I could too.” 

“You made it this far,” Jared countered. “You could make it for another piece of eternity.” 

“What are 300 years anyway, right?”

“Yes,” Jared said and he meant it. He wondered if William meant it too. 

“I want to. I want to, but I have to prevent a war in Chicago.” 

“I'll kill him,” Jared said. 

“I am the bad guy here,” William answered. 

“You like him,” Jared realised.

William nodded. “I do. I think he could be a good king one day.” 

“That's why you turned him?” 

“That's why I turned Adam too and Ryan and Spencer and Emilie.” 

“World domination?” 

“Simpler,” William said. “Retirement.” 

~+~  
“I'm coming with you to Chicago, if that hadn't been made clear last night,” Jared said. He was getting up and looking for clothes. William should probably do the same, but seeing Jared naked made him want to have sex again and again and again. For all eternity. And right now that feeling was very real. He would hold on to that for as long as he could. 

“You really shouldn't get involved. People don't know about you. They don't know about real immortals. What about Kris?” he made himself ask. It wasn't so much for Kris' sake as for Adam's. Adam had finally found something that took away the boredom, that took his mind off of the edge. Someone who made him want to live. William didn't even question that Adam chose the freaking jungle over LA. But maybe it was pretty much the same. 

“What about Kris?” Jared replied with a raised eyebrow. “He is fucking his brains out with Adam in the jungle. He won't be back for years. No one knows he's one of my people.” 

“I know.” 

“You won't tell,” Jared answered. 

“How can you be so sure?” 

“I'm not. I am big on hope right now and maybe your insanity is catching or something.” Jared took a few steps closer and William just took him in. Not a single mark on his body remained of what they did last night. What William did. Jared would always be the perfect human being. 

“I like that about you.” 

“I thought it was my deep, twisted soul and all the pretty, pretty songs I write,” Jared joked. He reached out and ran a finger down William’s arm. 

“Ryan will kill me,” William whispered. He could hear the hitch in his own voice. Jared's touch made him shiver with want. 

Jared smiled. “He won't. I won't let him,” he grabbed William’s arm and William let Jared drag him closer. “You are still naked. I think we should take advantage of that.” 

“I think you have a dirty, dirty mind.” 

“You knew that. What was the thing you asked me the first time we met?” he asked. 

“About the cemetery?” William said innocently. 

“No, something else.” 

“Oh, yes, I remember now. You could fuck me like the devil?” 


End file.
